The short version: I spent 6 years on an HOA board. Then I became the homeowner getting fined. Nothing clears your head faster.
I served as Secretary and then Vice President on a homeowners association board in Boca Raton, Florida. Six years. I attended every meeting, reviewed every violation notice, and helped vote on fines.
I thought I understood the system. I did — I just didn’t understand it from the right direction.
In 2022, my condo association here in Fort Lauderdale fined me $500 for my balcony furniture. Before I paid it, I did what my HR career trained me to do: I read the actual rule. Turns out the board had adopted it at a meeting that was never properly noticed to unit owners — a procedural requirement under Florida’s Chapter 718. The fine was invalid. I challenged it in writing. The board backed down.
A year later, they hit me with a $4,200 special assessment approved in a closed executive session — no open meeting, no notice, no opportunity for unit owners to attend. I challenged that too. They were forced to re-notice and re-vote in a proper open meeting.
Both times, I won. Not because I’m a lawyer — I’m not — but because I knew where to look.
That’s the gap HOA Pushback exists to close.
What I bring to this
Before any of this, I spent 22 years in corporate HR and Employee Relations. My entire career was built on reading policy documents, identifying procedural errors, and helping people navigate systems designed to favor institutions over individuals. Those skills transfer directly to HOA disputes — because most HOA enforcement problems are procedural problems.
What you’ll find here
Guides, checklists, and frameworks built on the same approach I use for my own disputes: read the rule, check the procedure, and don’t assume a fine is valid just because the board sent it.
I share everything as practical guidance, not legal advice. I’m based in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and I write about what I know from both sides of the table.
All content on HOA Pushback is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For serious disputes, consult a licensed attorney in your state.